California has always been dubbed the “land of dreams,”, especially for entrepreneurs, musicians, and those seeking a career in media. One of the most popular bands in Los Angeles, California’s music scene currently happens to be “The Scarlet Opera.” The five-piece collective has successfully established a unique sound, blending alternative, rock, and pop music into one genre. The talented band includes:
- Lyricist and frontman Luka Bazulka.
- Keyboardist Colin Kenrick.
- Bass player Daniel Zuker.
- Drummer Justin Siegal.
- Guitarist Chance Taylor.
Over the past couple of years, the collective released multiple singles, but now they are back, and this time with their newly released debut EP titled “Comedy.” In 2016, Luka Bazulka helped form the group initially known as “Perta,” which came to fruition after Luka Bazulka, an alum of the California Institute of the Arts, met fellow Cal Arts students Zulker and Kenrick. Shortly after starting the group, they released their debut single, From Fire, on March 29, 2018, eclipsed over 2.2 million plays on the song and almost 17K listeners on Spotify. Due to a lack of label interest/response, they reinvented their image and added to their creative/management team and the band we all love today as The Scarlet Opera was officially born. Since then, they have been signed to the SB Projects/Republic Records roster, landing what they had been desperately searching for — a record deal. Earlier last month, the group made themselves a household name when they made their late-night television debut by performing their single “Alive” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The performance was met with positive reviews from new fans and viewers with comments like “This is the best debut tv performance I have ever seen!” and even one fan said, “I’ve never heard of them, and I’ve spent the whole day watching this video again and again and again. The performance, the expression, the song, the sound, the clothes, the vibe, my whole body HAS to move along. It’s hypnotizing, and I am an instant fan.” When asked about their performance Luka said it was very fun for us, we were toning it down with the theme of the performance, we had to one back a lot everything happened quick for us.
It is clear as day to see and hear that The Scarlet Opera band is deeply inspired by the legendary rock band Queen. The band has recently drawn musical comparisons to One Republic, Harry Styles, People R Ugly, and more. They have fully embraced as a collective the fact that their music is considered similar to theater or a Broadway musical due to the way it is delicately presented to the world. Inspired by the Scarlet Lettering of the misunderstood and misrepresented – the music, the shows, and the glamour is all devoted to the outcasts – to the sexually liberated – to those who don’t come from wealth – to those who are divine. Fusing the grandeur of the theatre with the raw energy of rock and roll, The Scarlet Opera offers an escape into the throes of love, lust, glamour, and passion. Last week I got to sit down with the band and ask them questions about their musical influence, their creative process when recording, and their progress from last year to now. Make sure to check it out below!
Scarlet Opera Interview
Out of all the songs you have recorded as a group, what is each member’s favorite?
Luka: “We been writing for so long; there’s so many that we have emotional ties to. Mine is one called Giovanny, I have only been in love once with someone by that name, and it’s one of my favorite lyrical songs. It’s flashy and dramatic, and if I have my way, it will be out one day.”
Colin: “Honestly, in a perfect world, all our favorite songs would be alive because I feel like it clearly represents us. It shows what we can do, from soft ballads to heavy rock and roll. The song was a journey, just like the band’s upbringing. I won’t say the name of the song, but David, & Luka did a song that will be on the next EP. I wasn’t even there, but when I heard it, I said we must do this! It has to come out.”
Justin: “Alive was my favorite to record because it had such a clear vision; just hearing the acoustic and piano made me feel inspired and made the vision very clear. Another one to point out that’s my favorite would be the track Riot I think it’s eclectic with what we use, and I used the matching snares and much percussion. I played 6-8 different parts simultaneously in the opening; when you hear it, it sounds like a 20-person marching band. It was a great experience.”
Chance: “I have a favorite that’s not out yet. It’s called “Covered In Roses.” That’s my personal favorite to date! We shall see if it makes it on one of our records.”
Are there any collaborations with other artist in the works currently?
Chance: No collaborations on the docket quite yet. Looking forward to doing some”
With your first single “The Place To Be” coming out last year can you describe your progress and transition as artists since then?
Luka: “Tik Tok Baby has transformed and made our live show even more grand and concise. We were slow on the social media train. We wanted to be an excellent underground band, but behind the scenes, we needed socials like Instagram and everything else. That mentality didn’t work, and we were only known for a while due to word of mouth. We slowly got on board, and I think we have started to like it over the past four months. It was an adjustment for us, but it has worked in our favor so far.”
Stream their debut EP, “Comedy,” below, and follow each member on social media. Also, please get your tickets as they embark on a tour starting tonight in Seattle, Washington.
Tour
- 04/05/2023 – The Crocodile Seattle
- 04/07/2023 – Holocene Portland
- 04/10/2023 – Cafe Du Nord San Francisco
- 04/11/2023 – Constellation Room Santa Ana
